You know the trouble with mid season rankings? You never know if the teams you are comparing yourself with are competing at full strength. This weekend the team I root for will be w/o two of their top five runners for instance.

I guess it all gets sorted out at the state qualifying meets and the rankings are just a fun motivational tool.

at some point you have to stop saying "this team is good but they don't have their number x runner because of (insert variety of reasons here )" Most people don't realize that one of the hardest parts of coaching is getting an entire team to the start line healthy and fit on race day. by mid-season, the woulda-shoulda-coulda's ought to disappear.

All that matters is how the teams finish at NCS and CIF. Some teams have already raced a lot (with more to come) while other programs traditionally race best during the early to mid season before petering out in November. This year will be no different is my guess but it will still be great to watch how things unfold at Hayward and Woodward Park.

Bishop O'Dowd ran Clovis without it's #2 man in state meet 800 medalist Eugene Hamilton. Also has a freshmen in the top 7 who is the son of a former Cal all american and 8:55 perp two miler Tom Downs. Might want to move them up.

With regards to Bishop O' Dowd, that can be said for any team. Acalanes ran without their #2 runner, and ran their top freshman who ran a top five time down in the frosh/soph race. Miramonte ran without their #2 as well, who finished 2nd overall to tyler hanson in the first dfal center meet and only ran 5 overall. At some point, the rankings have to be based off of performances, it can't be a waiting game for every school to have their perfect team, because that might not ever happen.